Naruto Evolutions
by Jhaxe
Summary: A broken spirit, a shattered dream. Tempted by the darkness, he fled from the place of his birth. A new life, with new friends, new allies, new enemies, and a new path. Watch him travel across the Ninja Lands, on a journey to prove himself to the world.


**Jhaxe:** Alrighty, for those of you who haven't figured it out, this IS the same story as A Swinging Pendulum, renamed and revamped, because I hated the one I wrote originally. So, this is the real storyline, I made a mistake in changing my mind on how Naruto leaves, so this is what I had originally planned.

**Iyx:** Lordy, you get on my nerves sometimes! Come on, your readers want awesome Naruto action!

**Jhaxe:** _-sigh-_ Please calm down, I promised an epic and I shall deliver an epic, plus a sequel. (I may even make this a series.)

**Summary:** A heart shattered, a spirit broken. Naruto's dreams are destroyed in a grim realization during his second Chuunin Exams. Disheartened and tempted by the darkness, Naruto flees from Konoha in search of a new beginning, and finds more than he ever realized possible. Old enemies become new friends, a supposedly evil person becomes his closest companion and sensei, and new and powerful allies are presented. In the end, how will Naruto choose to lead his life? Will he be tempted by true darkness? Invincibility and immortality? Or will he become something greater than anyone ever imagined?

**Disclaimer:** If I owned Naruto, this would be the storyline.

**AN:** A few chapters in, there will be important OCs presented. I will try and get Art done for them, but I can't make any promises yet. I will however, include an in depth look and bio into their characters in my profile as they are presented. If I skip or forget one, please remind me. You NEED to know who these people are.

**General Warnings:** Language, Violence, Depression, Sexual innuendo, Alcohol, Smoking and Above PG-13 material. (Rating will most likely go up as the story progresses, but it will not be for a long time.)

**Chapter Warnings:** Depression, Very Mild Language

* * *

**::-:: **

_A life new from the womb…_

_Cursed and marred by an untimely fate…_

_The burden he carries inconceivable to those who surround him…_

_A slowly breaking window…_

_A slowly shattering reality…_

_Erupting in grim realization…_

_An eroding heart…_

_Freezing emotions…_

_Who would not choose to flee from that which torments your soul?_

_And now…a new world awaits his presence…_

**::-::**

* * *

**::-::**

_His body limp in a field of lush grass, the light morning dew settling around him. The sun could be seen rising gracefully in the early pink-hued sky. A light wind blew by, the scents of spring and summer trailing behind. He opened his bright blue orbs unto the lightening sky, fading from the morning spectrum to a light and comfortable azure._

_The wispy morning clouds lazily rolled by high up in the stronger winds, and all was peaceful as he smiled kindly, enjoying the relaxing turbulence of a new morn. Suddenly, however, before his heavy lids had fully shut in peace, a strong gale blew up from nowhere, carrying a grim aura from the opposite direction. Thick, black, menacing towers of cloud and thunder cascaded from all directions, surrounding him, as massive black dust tornados came spiraling downwards, whipping rings of debris and ripping the landscape to tethers._

_The young boy, spiky blond hair rushing madly in all directions, stood frightened, a horrified silent gasp upon his lips, his sapphire eyes widened in fear. He attempted to move, but found himself frozen in place, as the wild tumbling hurricane advanced, the typhoon destroying the landscape, the noise horrendous and deafening. And yet, the boy was aware of a faint ringing, growing louder._

_He thought briefly it could be the sound of the tornados, but realized, this was not the sound of any train, as the buzzing became more apparent. The tornados were now upon him, twisters of malice, dark vortexes of evil. Unable to move, he closed his terrified eyes, awaiting the end. He could feel the heavy winds dragging at his body, and was vaguely aware of sensing a huge piece of debris being flung at him._

**::-::**_  
_

Naruto awoke with a start, tumbling out of bed and cracking his head sharply on the hardwood floor of his apartment, his alarm clock still ringing madly. Entangled is his bed sheets, crimson liquid already beginning to spill feverishly from the severed skin on the right of his forehead, his blood pulsing rapidly, his heart only just beginning to slow from the effects of the nightmare, Naruto did not attempt to rise from his current position.

In the past, he had had similar dreams, all of them foreshadowing disaster or death. As he felt the usual sharp burning sensation of Kyuubi beginning to heal his wound, he sat up, two streams of blood running down his face, one down the bridge of his nose, one down the right side if his head, he vaguely wondered what was about to happen.

In his 15 years, Naruto had begun to wise up, yet even so, he still had difficulty determining what decisions to make, which usually ended in him being rash. This was a major fault for a Shinobi, especially one like him, whose goal was to become the hokage of Konoha.

Sighing, Naruto slowly peeled the sheets from his sweating body, tossing the bloodied material in his dirty clothes basket to be washed. It was then he was reminded of why he had set his alarm clock for such an outrageously early hour, as it was merely 4:30 AM. It was the day of his second attempt at the Chuunin Exams.

Shaking off the aftereffects of his dream, he slipped into his pants, followed by a mesh shirt underneath of a short-sleeved black formfitting top, lastly accented by his black and orange jacket. As he finished upping the zipper, his thoughts briefly traveled back to Shikamaru's words.

He was the only ninja in his age group that had not yet reached Chuunin level. Closing his eyes momentarily, as if forcefully pushing the thought away, Naruto attached his kunai holster onto his right pants leg. Finally, he tied his hitai-ate tightly around his forehead, the excess material slightly tickling the back of his neck.

As he stepped out onto the street, his golden spikes limp, the twilight of the morning framing his form, Naruto began to walk slowly towards the Team Seven training area. This go around, he would make Chuunin, and there was no doubt in his mind, even though the grimness of the dream was still hanging clear in his memory.

**::-::**

After his nostalgia finally began to recede, Naruto hopped down off of the log, the very center post he had been tied to back on his first test as a Genin. As he neared the streets of Konoha, the sounds of the village awakening for a new day could be heard. Vendors were opening their shops and stands, store owners were polishing their glass display cases and rearranging their shelves, and Shinobi and Kunoichi were exiting their homes, heading towards the missions office.

Naruto was already able to hear the early crowd gathering for good seats in the battle stadium. The proctors were most likely preparing their mental rubrics to evaluate the Genin participants. He decided, rather than arrive too early, that he could make a quick stop at Ichiraku's for a hearty bowl of ramen. Ramen could cure any ailment.

**::-::**

Sipping the last if the broth from his third bowl of miso, which he'd had a taste for today, Naruto decided it would be best if headed towards the arena. Taking his last ramen coupon out of his pocket, he placed it beside his empty bowl and pushed the paper curtain out of the way before heading onwards towards the Battle field.

As he stepped into the shade of the long hallway of the battle arena, Naruto advanced towards the registration desk to sign in. He saw Kotetsu and Izumo sitting behind the sign up table, and noticed, that those two were never part. He even recalled them doing all their missions together. _Hmm…I wonder if they're…eh…I'd better drop that thought…_

Naruto left his train of thought to give out a brief smile at the pair, signing his name on the list next to the printed form. However, he noticed, out of the corner of his eye, a sorrowful expression overtaking both of their faces for a brief moment. Quickly dismissing that though, he marched onwards towards the waiting area, undeterred.

Entering the small balcony area overlooking the terrain of the battlefield, Naruto took a place on the far side, away from the rest of the contestants. This year's participants were mostly weaker Genin, and he had no doubt he could defeat most of them at one time. There were also fewer entrants in this Exam. Currently, there were only eight participants, resulting in seven matches, four for a preliminary round, then two for a semi-final, then the final match. Naruto had determined it would be a breeze and he should be Chuunin by tomorrow.

The deal usually was that you would be informed whether or not you passed within a week of the final match. Naruto was snapped out of his thoughts by the announcer and field ref for the day. It was the same man that had proctored his first exam, the Shinobi who constantly held a senbon in his mouth, Genma.

Two matches preceded, both ending in a fault. Both opponents in both matches were deemed unable to continue simultaneously. That left four contestants. Genma called the next pair to the field, and as Naruto was one, he headed downward, instead of obnoxiously jumping from the balcony as he did in his first Exam.

As he walked through the dimmed hallways downwards towards the field, another wave of nostalgia hit him. He recalled himself and Shikamaru witnessing Gaara killing two men. That had been back was Gaara really was a monster. Now he was different. The redhead was the current Kazekage and was doing a damn good job, Naruto thought, smiling kindly.

He stepped into the arena, the bright sun causing him to squint as his eyes readjusted to the change. His opponent was waiting for him. An older man by the looks of him, but he had taken the Chuunin Exam six times and failed miserably on each. Using a new mental checklist of the things he needed for an easy win, Naruto moved forward, standing roughly ten feet from his new rival. Genma began the ceremonial battle introduction.

"Match Set: Uzumaki Naruto Vs. Kaishido Momora" his voice echoed loudly throughout the stadium as the audience cheered half-heartedly. Naruto glanced around at all of his friends, from Shikamaru to Ino to Chouji, all setting side by side, to Hinata to Kiba to Shino, to Iruka to Kakashi and Sakura, and finally resting on Tsunade and Jiraiya, who he noticed had attended even though he was supposed to be off scouting for information on Akatsuki. And as he looked around, he noticed, on every one of their faces, a look of pity and sorrow, attempting to be concealed by a cheer or a smile, but not enough to truly go unnoticed. What did they know that he didn't?

His memory flashed back to the dream from earlier in the morning, but he pushed back once more, once more taking a look at his opponent, who appeared to be the average Sand ninja, clothed the same exact way as the ones he usually saw patrolling in Suna, his face covered by a mask and head bandanna bearing the Sunagakure symbol. His chestnut eyes were all that was visible, and they show apprehension, nearing fear. The man already knew he was going to lose, miserably.

Genma looked from left to right, eying both contestants, his gaze lingering slightly longer on Naruto more so than Momora. An unshakeable feeling of despair was beginning to settle in Naruto's mind. His brain kept tugging at him, telling him something was deathly wrong, but he just couldn't figure it out. He was snapped out of his thoughts by Genma's command to begin.

"Hajime!" (Begin) he shouted, lacking enthusiasm, as usual. Momora dashed forward quickly, not wasting any time in his assault. He rapidly slipped a kunai from his holster, simultaneously throwing three shuriken directly at Naruto's vital points.

Naruto dodged them easily, creating a Kage Bunshin in his place, while he dashed ferociously behind the older man, forming a standard Rasengan and slamming it into his back, before Momora even knew what happened. He was out before he hit the ground.

Quickly dispelling his clone, he noticed the audience didn't seem too enthusiastic over his victory. He was vaguely aware of Genma calling out "Winner: Uzumaki Naruto" as he marched back into the waiting room balcony.

**::-::**

The other two opponents had both forfeited quickly after witnessing Naruto's power. As he was the only contender left, he was named the Winner of the Chuunin Exams. Naruto was gleeful, smiling cheerfully around his friends, convinced he would soon be named Chuunin. But, the week marker had come and gone, and the Saturday after the Exams, Naruto decided to pay Tsunade a visit.

Heading into the hokage tower, Naruto passed many Jounin and Chuunin, nearly all of them casting a forlorn glance towards him, before continuing with their work. As he neared the hokage's office, the familiar dread he'd felt before the Exam reappeared with intensity. Knocking twice, he heard Tsunade's commanding voice on the other side yell a brief "Come in."

Naruto quickly opened the door. He saw Tsunade sitting her desk, the usual stack of paper work beside her. Looking up, her chestnut eyes widened briefly, before changing into a look of sadness. "Naruto…"

"Tsunade-obaachan…I…well…" he hesitated slightly, wondering what news was about to be revealed to him before continuing. "I won the Chuunin Exam, and according to the rules, those who pass are supposed to be acknowledged within a week of the final match…and well..." he was at a loss of how to phrase the question, but he didn't have to. Tsunade cut in.

"…And they were…" she looked away, unable to meet his eyes as they widened in confusion and pain. A dull throb began to pulse in heart, like a frozen dagger stabbing his chest.

"D…demo…Doushite…." (But…Why…) He was unable to continue, his throat clogging dryly.

"Gomen Nasai, Naruto." (I'm sorry) She clenched her fists tightly. "But…I have been overruled by the council." Tsunade sighed sorrowfully.

"W...what do you mean?" Naruto wasn't sure whether or not he actually wanted the answer.

"This takes some explaining." She proceeded to move her current paperwork out of her way, interlocking her fingers on the cedar desk. "Weeks ago, when you signed up for the Chuunin Exams, the elders confronted me with…'concern.' They proceeded to tell me that it was unsafe in your current situation, having Akatsuki chasing after you, for you to…progress any further in your Shinobi career." Naruto gasped silently. "I immediately appealed, of course, to the council, but…I'm sorry Naruto…" Their eyes met, sorrow on fear.

"As of this moment onward, you, Uzumaki Naruto, Konoha Genin, are forbidden from progressing any further and attaining any higher rank in your Shinobi career...indefinitely…" Mentally, Naruto was beginning to shatter. "Also, as of this day, you are forbidden to undertake any mission above a C rank, and are hereby not allowed to partake in missions that require leaving the boundaries of Konoha."

To say Naruto was speechless or shocked or hurt did not even begin to compare to the feelings that had overtaken him. As far as he was concerned, his life was now over.

**::-::**

The rain poured relentlessly over Konoha. The defeated form of Uzumaki Naruto paced slowly towards his lonely home, alone and broken. He had left Tsunade's office in a hurry, and as he ran down the hallway, past numerous unsuspecting ninja, he had heard Tsunade's worried voice calling desperately after him. He had not even turned back to look.

He was visibly soaked to his very core, ever crease and wrinkle in his black and orange uniform past the point of saturation. His sopping bangs had shifted into his face and eyes, his back slumped in utter despair, his eyes cold and dead.

Everything was now out of his reach. Without the ability to leave the Konoha, he would never be able to bring Sasuke back. He would never fulfill his promise to Sakura-chan. His promise of a lifetime was now almost certainly impossible.

Without the ability to progress and be promoted as a Shinobi, he would never reach the level of his friends, he would never be a team leader, a teacher, with a reputation, and with notability from his people. Without that, he would never be hokage.

His life was ruined. And he knew now, it had been planned from the beginning. The council and elders had merely waited for an excuse to enact this. And Akatsuki had given them the perfect excuse.

Naruto had reached his home, the downpour never letting up. Turning the key in the lock, he walked in, dripping endless drops of both rain and salty tears onto the floorboards. He didn't even bother to shut the door behind him.

He surprised himself, as his arms moved, almost subconsciously, removing his jacket and pants, leaving him in boxers and his undershirt, as he tossed the soaked clothing into his hamper.

Afterwards, without even bothering to fix himself dinner, he flopped lifelessly onto his bed. Naruto was unaware of how long he'd been laying there, no sound present other than the endless rain.

Naruto, unaware of anything other than the pain he felt his heart, as the last of the foundation of his world crumbled downwards, failed to notice an impending presence outside his window. A single ebony raven was perched in his window sill, dark eyes never leaving Naruto's limp form.

**::-::**

Far outside Konoha, a lithe figure, similar to that of the raven, but basking a human form, could be seen inhabiting a small cave, shielding himself from the vengeful storm. A small, smokeless blaze burned dimly in front of him, his black cloak, sporting red clouds, splayed around him. The dark hair that so much resembled the raven's, his summon, was tied back in a low ponytail, reaching far down his mid-back. His deep emotionless eyes were, for one of the few times, black as the night, if not blacker, if that was at all possible. And surprisingly, they showed hints of emotions, resembling concern.

Uchiha Itachi was deep in thought, his gaze never leaving the dwindling, chakra induced flames in front of him. He was going over the events his summon had informed him of. Naruto was now prohibited from leaving Konoha, and this would present issues for his mission. On the hand, at this stage, Naruto was emotionally destroyed after realizing he would never accomplish his dreams or be able to return Sasuke to Konoha, and he realized, it wouldn't take too much temptation to convince Naruto to come with him.

Oddly, Itachi noticed he had developed some kind of compassion for the boy, and though disgusted with himself, realized it was inevitable, as it was impossible for Naruto to not have that effect on someone. Snickering in a low tone, Itachi finally took his eyes from the fire, looking outwards into the torrent of rain. He had formulated his plan of action. And this time, he would not fail…purposely of course…

Over the past times he had confronted Naruto with Kisame at his side, Itachi had purposely failed to capture the blond jinchuuriki. The moment he had started following Naruto, he had immediately become engrossed with the boy's growth and development. The boy had the potential to be so much greater, the most powerful being in the world, and yet, everyone around him, those he cared so much for, and those he didn't, were chaining him down, holding him back.

Itachi had his own plan for the boy. He would much more useful to Akatsuki alive, if he could be trained to harness Kyuubi's powers to their fullest. Itachi smirked, bother inwardly and outwardly. Under his tutelage, he knew Naruto would progress rapidly. The only things left to discuss, were Naruto's loyalty to Konoha, and his plan, which he had not yet introduced to the leader. Of course, before long, the leader would be obsolete anyway.

Regardless, Itachi stood, the rain finally cascading its last few droplets. He extinguished the fire, and began treading towards Konoha. He needed to have an enlightening discussion with Naruto-kun.

* * *

**Jhaxe:** Cliff Hanger! Wowzers, that was a long and in depth first chapter, about 100 times better than my 'A Swinging Pendulum' one, ne? 

**Iyx:** Yes, yes. I'll admit, I'm impressed. Now get to work on the next chapter, nobody likes a long cliffie!

**Jhaxe: **Sheesh….you slave driver I'll work on it as soon as possible….

**Iyx:** _-grumbles-_ I wouldn't have to be if you weren't such a lazy bum!

**Jhaxe:** _-cries-_ Meanie _-emo-_ Anyway, hope you liked it. Stick around for the next chapter please! And don't forget to Review please! I like to read and respond to you!

**Iyx: **What will Naruto decide when confronted by the infamous Uchiha? And just what is Itachi offering to him? Find out in the _**Next Chapter:** The Sweet Fruit of Temptation!_


End file.
